Volunteer with ALA

The goals for the ALA Membership Ambassador Program are to welcome new members to ALA, develop a relationship with new members and provide them with an immediate peer connection, ensure new members understand how to access and utilize ALA member benefits and potentially increase consumption of ALA products and services and ALA member retention rates. 

Description: The Ambassador is an enthusiastic and welcoming member of ALA who helps new members feel comfortable, enjoys sharing and gaining knowledge and understands, embraces and articulates the value of belonging to ALA.  The Ambassador is also well-versed in the Association’s products, services and opportunities available to members so they can provide guidance and direction to address new members’ needs.  This volunteer opportunity does not require in-person meetings, though the Ambassadors are encouraged to work together to support the needs of new members.  There is a formal evaluation process for Ambassadors to ensure consistent mentorship of new members.  

Term: 2 years

Eligibility: An Ambassador must have at least three (3) years of consecutive ALA membership experience.  Active members of the ALA Member Ambassador Committee (MAC) are excluded from volunteering to serve as Ambassadors while serving on the Committee. 

Expectations:

• Complete Ambassador training as provided by the ALA Member Ambassador Committee.
• Accept new member assignments, when possible, at the direction of the ALA Member Ambassador Committee and communicate with Committee regarding progress with mentees, challenges, and availability for new assignments.
• Spend an estimated 2-3 hours per month engaged in ALA Ambassador activities that support the goals of the program.
• Connect with the assigned mentees by mutually agreed-upon methods and schedules – telephone, email, online or in-person.
• Help members identify and locate needed resources and/or obtain answers about ALA products and services.
• Expand members’ network through personal ALA connections, other Ambassadors or fellow mentees.
• Participate in meetups at ALA events when possible to foster engagement and build community.
• Encourage peer-to-peer connections and opportunities to increase new members’ involvement within ALA, and facilitate when possible.

Getting Started: To express interest and learn more about becoming an ALA Ambassador, simply scan the below QR code or fill out the form here: Volunteer as an ALA Ambassador!

Call for volunteers: Ongoing

Description: Our Virtual Meetups are informal, virtual discussion with no fixed agenda, covering any timely topic participants identify to address. Like the Online Community, the content is not provided by ALA but is an opportunity for 25-60 participating individuals—almost all of whom are ALA members— to connect around specific areas of interest and share ideas, resources and solutions. The Meetup chat moderator will actively facilitate the virtual weekly one-hour discussion which is conducted on the Zoom platform.  The moderator’s primary responsibility is to keep the conversation going, followed by maintaining awareness of those who desire/attempt to speak and ensure they have an opportunity to do so. We also ask the moderator to be aware of the time and let participants know when 5-10 minutes remain.

Topic suggestions are gathered at participant registration, and these are passed on to the moderator on the day of the chat, along with a list of current registrants. Staff may supplement the topic list with suggested ideas, and it is very helpful when the moderator prepares a list of current topics to support conversation flow. ALA staff are on the call and can be reached by private chat if any questions arise during the call.

The weekly moderator will be recognized in registration material and scheduling information, as available. 

Expectations: The time commitment for this volunteer activity is roughly 1 hour for each monthly chat on either the 2nd Tuesday, at 1 p.m. Central (Small Firm) or 1st Wednesday, at 2 p.m. Central (Member Idea Exchange.

If scheduled and confirmed, and availability changes, at least two weeks’ notification is requested.

Moderators may volunteer for any Tuesday on which there is availability by both moderator and ALA.

No opportunity will be provided to market the moderator’s products or services, if such an interest exists.

Eligibility: Anyone with an interest in moderating may volunteer to do so. Membership is not required.

Getting Started: Email membership@alanet.org to express interest

Description: ALA's Online Community provides members with opportunities to ask questions, share resources, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. Community Moderators play an important role in fostering a welcoming, engaging, and professional environment where members feel comfortable participating in discussions.

Three of the most important responsibilities of community moderators:

1. Ensure discussions comply with antitrust laws and ALA community guidelines. Moderators help educate members, monitor conversations, and edit or remove content when necessary. More information on antitrust guidelines is here. 
2. Encourage member engagement by helping questions receive responses, welcoming participation, and stimulating meaningful discussion. This may involve responding directly, connecting members with resources, or inviting others to contribute. 
3. Promote respectful and constructive interactions that align with the ALA Code of Ethics.

Moderators are authorized to edit or delete posts when required by antitrust regulations or community standards and work in partnership with ALA staff to address situations that require additional review or guidance.  

Expectations: Sign up for a one-week volunteer commitment and monitor discussions during your selected week. The time commitment is flexible and can be completed on your own schedule. Responsibilities include reviewing posts, encouraging member engagement, and helping ensure discussions remain aligned with community guidelines.

Interested in serving as a Community Moderator? Sign up here.

Eligibility: Any member interested in supporting the ALA Online Community is encouraged to volunteer. Active ALA membership is required to access and participate in the ALA Online Community.

Welcome new members in the Online Community!

Description: Make an impact in less than ten minutes with a post in ALA’s Online Community! The process is simple – you choose a week to make a post welcoming new members in the General Topics forum, we send a list of new members’ names and firm names, and you tag those members welcoming them to the Online Community in a post. There is no obligation to sign up for more than one week, or at all.

The purpose:

• Foster member awareness and engagement in member retention.
• Promote a welcoming environment and member-to-member connections.
• Promote new member engagement.
  

Expectations: The time commitment for this volunteer activity is up to you! Sign up for a week that works for you using this link.

Eligibility: You must be an ALA member to participate in this program. If you have an interest in reaching new members we encourage you to volunteer.

Description: Help spark meaningful discussions in ALA's Online Community by serving as a Conversation Catalyst. Conversation Catalysts help keep the community active and engaging by posting discussion questions, sharing relevant topics, and encouraging members to participate in conversations with their peers. Whether you're introducing a trending industry topic, asking for member insights, or sharing a professional challenge for discussion, your contributions help create valuable opportunities for knowledge-sharing and connection across the ALA membership. The commitment is simple: sign up for a one-week volunteer opportunity and help get the conversation started during your selected week. There is no obligation to volunteer for additional weeks, although you're welcome to participate as often as you'd like. 
 
Ready to get involved? Sign up here. 
 
The Purpose: 

• Encourage member engagement and participation in the ALA Online Community. 
• Foster meaningful discussions and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. 
• Create opportunities for members to connect around current issues, challenges, and best practices. 
• Support a vibrant and welcoming online community experience. 

Expectations: During your selected week, post one or more discussion prompts in the Online Community and help encourage participation by responding to comments when appropriate. The time commitment is minimal and flexible, typically requiring only a few minutes throughout the week. 
 
Eligibility: Active ALA members are welcome to participate. If you enjoy networking, sharing ideas, and encouraging professional discussion, we encourage you to volunteer as a Conversation Catalyst 

Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) provide opportunities for members to connect, collaborate, and engage in meaningful discussions, knowledge sharing, and skill development pertaining to their common specialties, focus areas or goals. SIGs foster networking, mentorship, and the exchange of best practices, supporting both personal and professional growth within the association's broader mission. In order to facilitate engagement and connection, ALA provides all SIGs with the following.

• A dedicated online community.
• Optional virtual calls (coordinated by the assigned SIG leaders).
• An in-person meeting at the Annual Conference & Expo each year.

The ALA Board of Directors determines which SIGs are available to the membership.

SIG LEADERS

SIG Leaders perform a variety of functions that are extremely important to the development and productivity of their respective groups.  SIG leaders assist its members to achieve the maximum benefit from the interactions in their group. Leaders may do that by providing subject specific information, resources, education or networking opportunities to the group either via announcement topics and/or the online community.  Leaders may also initiate and encourage interesting and useful discussions on current issues and relevant topics within the designated online community.

SIG leaders are responsible for the following: 

• Welcoming new members and connecting them to the group. 
• Organizing virtual calls. 
• Serving as the point contact for ALA Headquarters.
• Semiannually, reviewing discussions in the online community to archive those with lasting value, and removing those that are no longer relevant. 
• In collaboration with ALA Headquarters Staff, planning and coordinating an in-person meeting at the Annual Conference & Expo.

For those interested in becoming a SIG leader, please submit this short form to ALA headquarters. A member of ALA staff will follow up with you regarding roles available.

For reference, current SIGs available are:

• Corporate/Government
• Executive Leadership
• FirstFive
• Intellectual Property Administrators
• International Firm Administrators
• Large Firm Administrators
• Midsized Firm Administrators
• Plaintiff and Personal Injury Administrators
• Small Firm Administrators